• How do you learn best?– Writing– Reading– Lecture– Worksheets

The Northwest Ordinance and Illinois in America

Illinois as a Territory

• Not given the same rights as a full state• Considered part of the Northwest Territory

Debate Over Organization

Conditions in Illinois

• No currency• Indians outnumber whites• Land ownership is a big problem– Shady speculators like Edgar and Morrison own

vast tracts of land

Northwest Ordinance

• Art. 5 “…whenever any of the said States shall have sixty thousand free inhabitants therein, such State shall be admitted, by its delegates, into the Congress of the United States”

1816

• Indiana becomes the second state carved out of the Northwest Territory

• Still no movement for statehood in Illinois

Daniel Pope Cook• Political family• Moves to IL in 1815• Purchases interest in

Illinois Herald• Uses it as a sounding

board for his case for statehood

Argument for Statehood

• Territorial governor has too much power• Territory’s General Assembly powerless• Representatives in US Congress has no voting

rights• Land values will soar

• BUT inhabitants would have to pay salaries of public officials

Troubles Obtaining Statehood

• States need to have a certain voting population to become a state

• Illinois only had 220 land owners out of 12,000 inhabitants– Leads Illinois to expand voting rights to all taxpaying men

Movement for Statehood

• Cook addresses state legislature• Estimates population 40,000• Submits proposal to Congress to consider

Nathaniel Pope• Illinois’ territorial

representative• Cook’s uncle• Head of the committee to

consider proposal for statehood

• Amends the proposal– Raises northern boundary– Allocates money to

education

Next Steps

• State convention held in Kaskaskia• Crafty census taking reports a population of

40,258• State constitution rushed to Congress– Only hang-up being how to handle slavery

Electing a State Government

• Shadrach Bond – Govorner• Pierre Menard – Lt. Govorner• John McLean – U.S. House• Ninian Edwards – Senator• Jesse B. Thomas - Senator

• Territorial capital was in Kaskaskia• Choose Vandalia for state capitol

Conclusion

• Early statehood is rough– Financially unstable– Disease– Unresolved issue of slavery– Continued clashes with American Indian tribes

• What were the steps to get from territory to becoming a full state in Illinois?

• 3 paragraphs